I write to seek help with a name for a baby girl in a blended family. My partner and I are in the process of adopting a daughter from Japan. She is due February the 14th. (we aren't looking for any holiday themed names!)
We currently have three children, Ingrid Eliza and Winona Alice (called Nona, quite exclusively), aged 5 and 3.5, my partner, Elizabeth's daughters, and my son, Ezra Arthur, 7.
We have been all over the place in our name search, but currently, our short list includes Kirstie, Autumn, Ida, Matilde "Tillie," Shea, Maya, Johanna, and Adele.
Except we don't really *love* any of those names, and we also don't see them falling into a certain "group," so it is difficult to discover similar names that may be the one.
Another thing we'd really love is to give her a middle name that somehow includes her heritage. Japanese names are completely foreign to me, so we're really just hoping for a name that sounds good with her first name.
Also, on a tangent, I really would like to somehow incorporate the name Katherine (it is very meaningful to me). I love it as a first name, but my partner isn't too convinced. She is more open if we could call her by a more creative nickname, but we can't seem to think of any, so if you know of any nice nicknames for Katherine, please do tell.
I know it's a bit of a tall order, but I am hoping you will be able to help!
Katherines used to go by Kathy, but now mostly go by Kate. My favorite nicknames for it, though, are Kay and Kit: I think they have the sass of Kate, but with more vintage charm.
I too am unfamiliar with Japanese names. Will she come with her own name, which could used as her middle name? Or will you have any information about the city in which she was born? Or depending on how the adoption is being done, could someone in Japan help you by choosing a name for her, perhaps with a specific meaning?
I have a book called The Best Baby Names in the World, From Around the World (it looks like this version is the currently available one) that has a small section of Japanese names. It looks like there are a lot of good choices: names with pleasing meanings, and pleasing sounds to the U.S. ear. Just a few examples: Aiko (EYE-koh) means beloved; Chiyo (CHEE-yo) means eternal; Hana (HA-nah) means flower; Kana (KAH-nah) means beautiful or excellent; Kei (KAY) means happiness; Keiko (KAY-koh) means happy child; Sachi (SAH-chee) means blessed or lucky; Suki (SOO-kee) means loved one.
Here are some first name possibilities I think work well with the sibling group:
Adeline
Alice
Beatrix
Carys
Cecily
Cora
Iris
Pearl
Phoebe
Stella
I like Stella Kei J_____-F____. Or Iris Keiko J_____-F____. Or Phoebe Keiko J_____-F___. Or I like Katherine (Kit/Kay) Suki J_____-F___.
